This being the pilot, I think there are plans to do it again so if you’re interested in learning about how your city operates and meeting like-minded others, there will be more chances. In the meantime, I’ve written some relfections pieces which you can find on the 101 Blog here. Below is my final piece, more of a ‘what’s next’ rather than straight reporting. For more on that, again check the blog or the 101 official site.

One last thought: Our city is great. Civics 101’s existence validates this.

Adil “Toronto Fan Boy” Dhalla

Civics 101 Final Session: Grassroots

Do you demand more from our government?

I do and I have often felt that by demanding more, I was doing my leaders somewhat of a service. Having high expectations, after all, may be considered foolish by some but it can also be a flattering indication of one’s perceived potential. I know my city is consistently ranked among the world’s best but like many, I have this prevailing feeling that we can be better. It’s for this reason why I originally applied for Civics 101 – to determine whether or not my expectations were flattering or in fact foolish. It turns out that they were indeed flattering but rather than finding myself demanding more from City Hall, I’m now demanding more from us.

I thought that Civics 101 would provide me with the answers I sought about how my government worked so I could ostensibly derive some comfort from my newfound information base. But in reality, I completed 101 feeling slightly less comfortable about our prospects, because I now fully understand the full gambit of the activities and challenges City Hall faces. It’s not as if I was fully ignorant to these things before but where 101 was most successful was in encouraging me to truly consider the challenges our local leaders face. This left me with a new understanding of the difficulty to create change especially when it involves many stakeholders. Thus, while I might have begun 101 thinking tax raises were bad for me, I left wondering if they were in fact a needed reality for us.

The reason for this, of course, is related to our fiscal imbalance and that is merely one area (albeit a very big one), where I’m now convinced that the city requires help from those in the grass roots. Not only can our elected leaders not be everywhere, but it’s inconceivable to think that but we need to demand more from ourselves to pick up the slack where they cannot. This is the only way that it can work.

At the last 101 session, the word engagement came up a lot and for good reason. The purpose of this initiative was not just to inform, it was to activate.  It was hammer down the idea that our shared vision could only be accomplished if change was coming from both sides. Certainly, part of this involves communicating with and demand more from our leadership, but a large part of this starts with us.

So the question is, what are you going to do now?

It should not surprise that a community about ideas would laud the Technology, Entertainment, Design (TED) Conference and for that same reason, there’s no need to explain what TED is. Not only are you likely responsible for at least 1 of the 100 million times a TED video has been viewed but many have already defined and described the TED phenomenon. Plus, to truly align with the TED spirit, your own curiosity is your best guide.

Instead, we ask, what is your idea worth sharing?

The challenge to answering this is no doubt a product of several factors (e.g. what’s already been done, the high bar that’s been set, etc.) but none more important than identifying an idea that you are comfortable enough to speak on and yet not comfortable enough with that you know it’s potentially  profoundly different.  The not-so-funny joke today is that everyone is (or can be) an expert on something, but this question might humble many into realizing how devalued the term ‘expert’ has become.

This observation stems from personal experience, having been recently encouraged to do a TED style talk in celebration and support of the inaugural TEDxTO event (see below for supplementary resources).  The “independently organized TED event”, is in itself, a great idea to further proliferate idea sharing while physically connecting the curious. This alone should merit attention in this ambitious city.  From a macro perspective, however, we can view TEDxTO as one of the more obvious signs of an education revolution.

So often, we have attributed education as key to ‘saving’ the underdeveloped world and yet our own system requires just as much fixing. Whether it is because private costs too much; public is chronically underfunded; or because both kill creativity, education is in need of change and TED has emerged as a leader of a great new model.

When considering my idea worth spreading, grassroots experience on the education movement would certainly align itself with the “what’s next?’ theme but indicative that there is a movement, this topic is being covered well at TEDxTO. I have another idea, regarding how sharing a narrative is changing, but it’s largely underdeveloped at this point and given the time constraints and my evangelical expectations, the idea might live and die at the table at tonight’s Creative Club.

Or not.  After all, this is exactly what TED is about. Ideas are meant to be shared.

Not only to educate, but to grow bigger.

__________

Additional Resources

The TEDxTO Website, which includes details on how to still attend (via auction), the satellite streaming locations, the open after party and the full list of speakers

The TEDx website, explaining the whole ‘X’ program including a short introductory video by TED curator Chris Anderson

“I love their greed for hope, their confidence in ingenuity, their organized but goofy ways of talking and thinking.”  Lifted from “Confessions of a TED Addict”, written by V. Heffernan @ the NYT Magazine

Picture of the TED Commandments stone tablet which provides the speaker guidelines sent to each speaker prior to their talk

More Millers

Had Mayor Miller been foremost concerned with his reelection, then he would have given in to the unions or swept the issue under the mat akin to his predecessor.  Instead, he held his ground for reasons related to fairness and in the process, the left leaning Miller established an important precedent. Strikes have become too commonplace in this city but based on this one, we’ll be seeing less of them. With it over, Miller can refocus on his normal activities, including his championing of Toronto as the creative city. Having a vision and principals takes courage – we need more David Millers.

Training for the Working Class

According to a recent Martin Prosperity study, unemployment levels are at a four decade high with members of the working class (occupations that depend highly on physical skills and repetitive tasks) most severely affected.  The issue is more troubling when you consider our direction towards a creative/service economy. I’m naturally in favor of this, but not at the expense of leaving people behind. Let’s put it this way: Joe has worked at a plant for the last two decades and if that plant is never coming back, what does he do now? Given the right incentive (tax or E.I. related, for example), Joe should be encouraged to seek [affordable] training that will either help integrate him into the new economy or learn an in-demand skill. People say this type of stuff all the time but those in the service or creative sectors will rebound post-recession; the same cannot be said about the labor industry.

Incubators

To catch up on things, city council has called a special meeting to power through decisions to get things back on track. Here’s the list of the 60 things that they’ll be voting on, some of which is specific (“New lease terms for 4804-4812 Yonge”) and some of which is pretty vague (“$110,000 for seed money for economic development projects”).  That dollar amount for economic development projects seem awfully small so we suggest rather than put it towards new companies (because really, how many could you help with that amount), put the money towards citizen created incubators like Demo Camp, Red Wire Nation, Refresh Events and pretty much anything going on at the Center for Social Innovation. That’s just a sampling of the smorgasbord of the different idea incubators in this city that could play a significant role in injecting us with the innovation and ideas that we need. There are more out there, let them be heard.

My Toronto Campaign

Simply put, Toronto is a world class city that hasn’t felt like a world class city for the last little while. Any campaigns or initiatives focused on revitalizing the confidence of this city should be a priority for our leadership or for citizens looking to make a difference.

Finally, it would be nice if we were blessed with an Indian summer but that’s largely out of our hands. Instead, what we can do is dust ourselves off (or because of the garbage, take long hot showers) and get back up Toronto. This city lives.